WBS Penguins work to right the ship

WILKES-BARRE - AHL rosters are as star-studded as advertised this season.

There are two No. 1 overall draft picks, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Taylor Hall, in Oklahoma City. There are budding stars Brayden Schenn and Sean Couturier with Adirondack. Stanley Cup playoff heroes like Dwight King of Manchester and Adam Henrique of Albany are making the league their temporary home.

And despite that massive influx of talent due to the NHL lockout, only two players in the entire league have scored more goals than second-year Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins winger Paul Thompson so far.

Netting six goals in a five-game stretch will do that for a player.

"There are obviously a lot of good players every year and this year especially, there are some really big names," Thompson said after practice Tuesday. "I guess it's kind of cool, but I'm not really too concerned with that stuff. We're starting to the right the ship here and that's what's the most important."

Heading into a home game tonight against Binghamton, the Penguins' ship is definitely in calmer waters than it was at the beginning of the season. After getting off to an 0-4 start, the Penguins are 4-1 in their last five games.

There are several reasons for the turnaround, coach John Hynes said. Players are getting on the same page systematically. There's more stability in the lineup.

Most importantly, some players are turning in outstanding individual performances, he said.

From Warren Peters throwing a hit that led to a retaliatory four-minute power play in Manchester to strong back-to-back showings in goal by Jeff Zatkoff, the Penguins have players taking their turns in a starring role.

"Everyone was just average," Hynes said of the 0-4 start. "Now we're starting to see some great performances coming out from different guys."

Thompson has been at the head of that list.

On Oct. 26, he scored his second goal of the game in overtime to give the Penguins their first victory of the season, 5-4 over Rochester. Last Sunday, he scored the fourth natural hat trick in team history, leading the Penguins to a 5-3 win in Bridgeport.

Two of the goals in Bridgeport came on plays where he skated into the offensive zone and ripped quick, accurate shots past goalie Kevin Poulin. In professional hockey today, where so many goals are scored on tips, screens and rebounds, there's nothing better for a shooter's frame of mind than beating a goalie cleanly.

"Goalies are good. They're big. Goals are hard to come by, especially at this level," Thompson said. "It's definitely nice to get a few and get some confidence early in the season in that department."

The Penguins are 3-0 when Thompson scores this season and 1-5 when he doesn't. There probably isn't a direct cause-and-effect relationship there, of course, but it does speak to Thompson's changing role on the team.

Last year, even though he was a highly touted rookie coming off a 28-goal season at the University of New Hampshire, Thompson's offensive contributions were mostly gravy for the Penguins. This year, he's being counted on as a go-to guy.

"Last year, I think I developed a lot as a person and as a player and I think my overall game got a lot better," Thompson said. "I know there's a certain way I have to play to have success. It doesn't always mean you're going to necessarily score or be on the scoresheet, but if you're playing the right way, it's going to help the team win."

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